Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 10/31/19

Congress took a rare dive into the nexus of climate change and agriculture Wednesday afternoon as House Democrats' climate panel explored what role farming practices can play in tackling the "climate crisis."

"We call on Congress to seize the opportunity to make agriculture a key partner in fighting climate change," Jennifer Moore-Kucera, climate initiative director at American Farmland Trust, told the committee during a nearly two-hour hearing. Moore-Kucera noted that lawmakers could engage ag through either stand alone legislation or "a transformational farm bill."

Private sector engagement: The hearing comes as more food and ag companies engage their supply chains to focus on climate-friendly practices, from Cargill to General Mills and Danone North America, which testified Wednesday. "We want farmers to know this can be a path forward for them," said Tina Owens, senior director of agricultural funding and communications for Danone North America, after the hearing.

Common themes: Experts before the committee were unanimous that agriculture can be a big part of the solution, particularly through carbon sequestration. They supported leveraging existing USDA conservation programs to focus on climate-friendly agriculture practices and called for bolstering agricultural research on climate adaptation and mitigation.

But how big of a dent could ag make? Lawmakers were interested in quantifying how big farming practices like cover crops, no-till and crop rotation could be, in terms of making a dent in carbon emissions, for example. The panelists seemed to agree that more research and scientific consensus is needed.

What Congress could do: The committee formally asked for input on a handful of agriculture topics. Members want to know what policies should Congress adopt to reduce emissions and "maximize carbon storage," as well as to "help farmers, ranchers, and natural resource managers adapt to the impacts of climate change." Lawmakers also want input on forest management and ocean issues.

Thought for your thoughts: The committee is asking for input via email by Nov. 22 at ClimateCrisisRFI@mail.house.gov.